25,000 want to be a cop in Naxal bastion Gadchiroli

NAGPUR: Gadchiroli police were left overwhelmed by the 25,000 applications — including that of 5,000 women — it had received from the local aspirants, for the recruitment drive in the Maoist-affected district. Many of these applicants were learnt to be from hyper-sensitive locations in the remote Maoist strongholds.
Around 5,200 applications came for the post of 160 police drivers, which included 267 women. Another 20,000 applicants, including 5,000 women, have applied for the vacancies of 348 constables. Sources said that applicants travelled several hours from places like Laheri, Nargonda, Dhodraj, Bhamragarh, Etapalli, Sironcha and other places to participate in the recruitment drive.
With high fever, an aspirant from Bhamragarh clocked second best (5.12 minutes) to finish the 1,600m race. Also, a woman applicant had approached the police higher authorities for an opportunity to drive an anti-mine vehicle.
Under the supervision of SP Neelotpal, the recruitment process was driven by software technology, curtailing human interference. “The Physical standard tests (PST) were conducted using Infra-red sensor technology for measurements, with web cams capturing the images of the candidates and feeding them simultaneously in the software,” said Neelotpal, adding that even the documents were verified using software.
The SP further stated that chest measurements were conducted electronically, with magnetic tapes, which were saved into the system directly and automatically got updated against the candidates’ other measured values. “The software driven system generated the outcomes of the candidates’ performances and attributes. The qualified and non-qualified candidates were issued copies of their results directly from the system,” said the SP, adding that police had also been conducting pre-recruitment training through ‘Dadalora khidki’ scheme in the remote places.
Radio-frequency identification tags (chips) are being attached to the legs of the candidates who have qualified for the sprint tests. “The biometric registration of the candidates, successful in physical endurance tests, are done with images and thumb impressions, which would be matched during the written screening tests,” said Neelotpal. He added that the entire process is completed within a few hours with the help of advanced software.
DIG Sandip Patil, chief of State Anti-Naxal Operation (ANO) cell, who too had conducted two recruitment drives as SP, Gadchiroli, said that police have managed to reach at least three lakh people through ‘Dadalora Khidki’ in the last couple of years. This has revived the local population’s faith in the government machinery, he added.
“Now, there is a changed perception about the police force in the district. People have seen their neighbours’ lives change for good after joining the police department,” said Patil, adding that people have witnessed police efforts to bring change in their lives.